The Road To The Crimson Throne

Welcome To Korvosa

Korvosa has long stood as the first bastion of civilization on the wild frontier of Varisia. Yet tragedy seems to haunt the city’s royal bloodline. Few of the rulers rule for long, and none have lived to a ripe old age, dying instead well before their time. Heirs to the throne are few and far between- in it’s 300-year history, no king of Korvosa has directly inherited the Crimson Throne from his father. This is the source of much gossip and tale-spinning among the city citizens, who speak of The Curse of The Crimson Throne.

Part 2: Seven Days To The Grave

Sable Company exiled from the City. The Korvosan Guard in disarray. The Helknights returned to Citadel Vraid. The City now seemingly protected by The Queens Loyal Gray Maidens and Gray Wardens, all loyal to only House Arabasti and The Queen. Gone are the checks and balances that would keep the city from tyranny and The Queen adeptly solidifies her position, for a young woman barely of Age 17.

The Other houses now begin to suspect something is going on and sides are beginning to be drawn. Along with this a rumor has started That General Uril Krakon, from Cheliax, a member of The Exiled House Porphyria, is marching north to seize the city. Months away, there is time to stop him, but it will need a united defense….of which there is none. The Szarni and The Shoanti Clans begin to openly plot against the city and a Cult of ancient worship has sprouted up in a city once known for its Lawful enterprises.

and now a new problem is beginning….Death stalks the streets. What starts as an isolated outbreak swiftly turns into a full fledged epidemic and soon no one is safe. The City’s resources are quickly overwhelmed and only the wealthiest can hope to stave off the spreading disease. A desperate Queen takes harsh measures to stem the rising death toll.

As Bodies fill the streets it falls to a city on the verge of collapse to band together and seek allies normally seen as enemies to curb the tide of panic and save who they can. But with the fates of thousands at hand, can the Mastermind behimd this unnatural plague be uncovered before Korvosa becomes a mass Grave? What will The band of Adventurers; who up to now have stayed somewhat in the shadows, do to Save Their City!!!?

Part 1: The Edge of Anarchy

Long has The criminal Gaedran Lamm eluded the authorities of Korvosa. His reach and impact has been great and perverse. Whether by bribery or elusivness he has escaped capture, or worse, again and again. His allies count among the great crime lords of Korvosa. However just maybe his running is at end….just maybe…..

With the city perched on the edge of anarchy, the ailing King Eodred Arabasti II slipping from the limelight, and his young power hungry Queen, Ileosa taking more and more control of governing, things have been going from bad to worse within this once proud city. Easily a 5th of all buildings are abandoned as people flee to better managed cities, such as Maginmar. Hellknight patrols seek swift justice to any who interfere. The Korvosan Guard is hard put to stop organized crime, but makes a good attempt at non-organized variants. The Sczarni smirk in their multicolored tents and gilded wagons on the fringe of the city, at watching the Chelish infidels try and stem the tides of depravity. Hippogriff Riding Marines ply the sky’s over the city in fewer and fewer numbers from what once was, their sight bringing brief hope.

Reveling even more though are the Shoanti barbarians who had the land that was sacred to their people snatched from them by Chelish invaders oh so many years ago. The deeds of the wars between the Chelaxian Explorers and the Shoanti Guardians of The Grand Masataba, upon which Castle Korvosa sits, are filled with wonder and awe for both people’s. But as the power of Korvosa wanes, so to does the flames of desire for righteous vengeance begin to wax. Whisper’s have begun in dark corners.

There is but one beacon of hope to the impoverished people of Korvosa, The Legendary hero ‘Black Jack’ who pioneer’s the cause of the downtrodden, eluding capture and discovery. Some say he is a ghost, some say he is tall tale, some say he is the hope of the city given life.

All that can be said though, whether it is on Endrin Ilse, where Old Korvosa and The Patriarch of The Poor; The Noble Glorio Arkona or by the Self Named King of Spider’s Devargo Bevassi; or in the trimmed estates of South Shore where the womanizing Perishial Kalissreavil, Ambassador of the Elvish Kingdom of Mierani or among the varied clergy of the many turreted Temple of The Many sits. Whether on the heights where the aging Wizard Toff of House Ornelos works as Headmaster to famed wizardy school Acadamae, or in the myriad confined streets of Mainshore where Archbanker Daub Tuttle of Abadar works to stave off the coming storm of anarchy.

All that can be said though, is Korvosa has made it’s mark on history and is in the process of either making history or becoming history…in your lifetime. How will you affect the course of Korvosa

Think I have finally decided on my character. I will make Ranger (Urban Archetype) that uses Mounted Combat Style. Not sure at this point if he will be a member of Sable Company or just pretending to be.

This Game will be a merger of Curse of The Crimson Throne by Paizo and Road to Revolution by 0one Games with a couple Paizo PFS adventures set in and around Korvosa thrown in. If you have read anything about CotCT then forget what you know about the overlying plot. Its been modified to fit my view of what Id like it to be.

If I had to give you a guideline to what this game is about it would be ’Who will you choose to back as they ascend to the Monarchy of Korvosa after King Eodred falls to the Curse of The Crimson Throne…

Alignments: This campaign takes the pre-dispostion that the party wants to save Korvosa. Because of that, any chaotics or evils should have a vested interest in their background of not seeing the city tear itself apart. Beyond that, discuss non-good alignements with the DM, me.

You will create your statistics with a 20 point buy, however each player will roll a single d6 once in front of all others, and add the results of that dice roll to their point buy (thus the point buy will be 21-26, for variety)

A) No Ability can be taken above 18 during creation, and no ability can be taken below 8 during creation.

B) All players will get 3 traits. The first has to be taken from the listed Campaign Traits In The Campaign Guide. The other two may be taken from any legitimate Paizo Pathfinder Source Material to flesh out the background and character’s personality. Note: Traits will have impact’s other than gameplay, but in the game itself so make sure you READ the material of the traits, I will ;)

C) 1 single Trait may be swapped out for a single +2 in one ability score adhering to Rule A)

D) Each player will get 1 FREE rank in either a Craft:?? or Profession:?? . This then will be what your character has been doing to make a living, and will determine where your player lives. (ie I will match up your job, traits, and background to place you in the beginning.

E) Each player will be allowed to ‘create’ the names and professions of three contacts ie friends, family co-workers as part of the background for me the DM to incorpoorate into the game. In addition I will give each player the names of 2 others from among the many books for the campaign, so each player will have 5 npc they know within the city well enough to call upon for one thing or another.